We made reservations for 12 people at Alexander’s Steakhouse for our annual dinner. The problem is for groups of 10 or more we would have to use their private room. We would have to spend a minimum of $2000 + gratuity and tax and we would not be able to choose off of the regular a la carte menu. we will have to go with a pre set menu which everyone does not want to do. (plus this works out to $166++ per person which to some people in our group is just a little bit too pricey)
any ideas of similar type steakhouses that would accomodate 12 people together without having to do a banquet style menu? Some of us want to try the Wagyu steaks so a steakhouse that serves Japanese Wagyu would be a plus.
I don’t know much (if anything) about steakhouses in general but it might be helpful if you clarify how nice of an ambiance you’re looking for, what the approximate price per person is, and what geographic area you’re looking in.
I actually don’t think it’s unreasonable for a fancier steakhouse to charge you that much for a minimum and to request that you do a set menu if you want a private room for that many people and want Japanese Wagyu…
If you don’t mind a very casual atmosphere and the meat being diced, you could always try Wadatsumi in West LA…
sorry if i didn’t make it clear, we would prefer a steakhouse with nice ambience. We do not want a private room with a set menu, we prefer a regular dining room experience due to us wanting the a la carte menu instead of a set menu. Unfortunately Alexander’s requires groups of over 10 people to get a private room and order from a set menu.
We don’t mind suggestions for anything in the greater Los Angeles area since this is our annual post-xmas party.
price range can be from $70-$175 per person, not everyone wants to pay $175 for their meal so an a la carte menu is preferred where we can order whatever we want without being subjected to a certain set menu.
thanks for the responses, i will take a look at the Arthur J and Wadatsumi is a great place but is more on the casual side for our annual post Xmas party.
Wadatsumi by Harikawa (on the Westside, on Pico) near Westwood) has terrific wagyu, AND a private room that won’t break the bank. AND a la carte options.
While I’m not the biggest fan of Mastro’s, I’ve attended group dinners in the penthouse (BH location) that were pretty darned solid and yes, each diner ordered off the menu. They’re equipped to handle large groups.
Boa in Santa Monica or West Hollywood maybe? Also I’ve been to Ushuaia Argentinian steakhouse in SM with a group of 10 and we were able to order off the regular menu. But they probably don’t have Waygu. There’s also Baltaire in Brentwood; I haven’t been but friends like it. And yes, Mastro’s would definitely work for this situation.
Only went to Ushuaia once, and that was a few yrs ago. Ambiance is def very appropriate for a festive occasion, but I thought the food was only decent, relative to the price. They had a lobster and a steak special, and the server recommended the lobster (!!!). As you mention, I’d be surprised if they have Wagyu.
To the OP, Restaurant 2117 has wagyu, I think, but I’m not sure from where it’s sourced. Ambiance is… sedate. But mildly upscale. The price is certainly right, as well.
re: price
when i took my meat-eating friend out to dinner at pacific dininig car the bill came out way higher than $166/pp. he had one glass of wine with his dinner.
i only had salad, water, and a baked potato.
if that is the number they gave you, be sure that it includes TIP as well as “service charge.”
seems low to me.
basically, is is a pretty simple thing for ONE person, by themselves, to come out of Pacific Dining Car with the damage for a full meal being in excess of $300 .
a glass of wine iirc was about $40, coffee (can’t remember if it was a cappuccino) and an after dinner drink, two vegetables (keep in mind a baked potato is $15 there), a salad ($22), dessert, and a steak.
To each his/her own I suppose. I’m generally not a steakhouse type but I’ve had some good to very good meals at both Boas.
Since we’re running through all the steakhouses, what about Cut in BH? I’ve only been once and I wasn’t paying so I don’t know how it compares price wise. But we certainly had a fun dinner with a group of about 8.
Thanks for all the suggestions, I’ll look into the Royce, Cut and even Mastro’s. I haven’t been to Mastro’s in years so I don’t know if it has changed much. I’ll take a look at their menus and give them all a call.
How do you intend for this dinner to go? Separate checks for a party of 12? How do you account for bottles of wine, shared sides or appetizers for the table? How do you split the service charges? If some are budget conscious and perhaps sharing a steak between two and others are splurging on kobe or wagyu and indulging in pricy wines, I just see complication and disappointment.
This may be the kind of holiday dinner where food shouldn’t be the main focus and you can be well-fed and end up happier at a place like Fogo de Chao or l’Assiette.
We usually have a separate bill for the drinks. Everyone splits the sides and appetizers evenly. We all pay for our own entrees. We are all good friends and we have this annual dinner every year. It’s always the same people but we try new or different restaurants every year. The amounts people pay for their meals has never been an issue. We did Fogo De Chao a couple of years ago and we all had a great time. L’assiete sounds like a good option too. Thanks.
Sort of an outside-the-box suggestion, but what about The Old Place? You would have to be in the private room, but I’m pretty confident it’s just a separate table. Would link, but the interface is a little odd on my phone. Here’s the url: oldplacecornell.com - check out the section under The Mailroom